The Massachusetts Softball team won its series with St. Bonaventure over the weekend, winning both games on Saturday but losing the Sunday matinee. The Minutewomen (14-13, 5-9 Atlantic 10) were able to work around fielding errors on Saturday, but those same errors came back to bite them in the series finale.
The Bonnies (9-25-1, 4-13 A-10) took advantage of the opportunities that UMass provided on Sunday, with an early error in the top of the third setting up St. Bonaventure’s with a runner at second with no outs. Starting Pitcher Julianne Bolton walked the next batter before a single up the middle gave the Bonnies an early 2-0 lead. Bolton went the whole game, not allowing another run after the third. She finished with eight strikeouts, one walk and six hits allowed with one of her two allowed runs being earned..
After the bats were scorching like the sun on Saturday, Sunday’s performance at the plate was decidedly cooler. The Minutewomen totaled eight hits and one walk, but left seven runners on base. Bella Pantoja provided the only RBI for UMass as it lost 2-1.
The second game of Saturday’s doubleheader showed utter dominance from the Minutewomen in the later innings. With UMass down 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, it scored nine runs combined in innings five and six, winning by a score of 11-3 in mercy rule fashion after the game was called in the sixth inning.
Abby Packard was the star of the second game for the Minutewomen, going 3-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Pantoja, Abby Lamson and Jules Shields all chipped in two RBI of their own, while Chloe Whittier and Sarah Keagy each accounted for one RBI.
What turned the tide of the game was a two out, bases loaded single from Lamson that scored two and gave UMass a lead that it didn’t relinquish. Lamson, who was hitting .263 before Saturday’s second game, raised her average to .271 on the season.
“[Lamson’s] just been very confident and seeing the ball well,” head coach Danielle Henderson said. “When the big moments happen, she doesn’t get to worked up and she stays within herself.”
Starting pitcher Natalee Horton pitched better than her statline suggests, as she was not helped by the errors that the Minutewomen committed. UMass committed three errors, all of which were either directly or indirectly responsible for the runs Horton allowed. Horton pitched all six innings, allowing no earned runs while allowing 10 hits and striking out three.
“She’s going to give us ground balls,” Henderson said of Horton. “She’s a drop-ball pitcher, we have to do a better job of attacking those ground balls and getting the outs so we don’t give [our opponents] more opportunities at the plate.”
UMass came back to beat St. Bonaventure by a score of 6-3 in the first game on Saturday. UMass put the ball in play all game, tallying 10 hits. St. Bonaventure on the other hand struggled to push runs across, leaving seven runners on base.
Down 3-2 after five innings, the Minutewomen came storming back in the bottom of the 6th. The rally began with a Shields walk, followed by a base hit up the middle by Lamson. Keagy knocked in one run on a base hit of her own, which brought the freshman catcher Olivia Packard to the plate. Packard hit a hard ground ball past the second baseman and into right field, clearing the bases to score two runs. Emily Whelan bunted for a single and advanced to third on a throwing error, scoring Packard in the process.
The Bonnies scored all three of their runs in the top of the fifth. Madison Stewart hit the first pitch into center field for a base hit, and after failing to bunt the runner over, shortstop Grace Walker worked a walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Olivia Whitecar pushed a run across with an RBI single into left field, tying the game at 1-1. Senior Abby Suhr gave the Bonnies the lead with a base hit that ricocheted off Jessie DiPasquale’s wrist and scored two runs. DiPasquale finished the inning with a taped left wrist, not allowing another run, keeping the score at 3-1.
DiPasquale gave five innings of work, striking out two while walking three. She was replaced by Jenna Bradley after the 5th inning. Bradley pitched the final two innings for the Minutewomen and kept the Bonnies bats at bay, allowing just one hit and one walk. She also struck out two batters and was credited with the win.
UMass saw offensive production throughout the batting order, with all but two players getting in the hit column. Pantoja, Whelan and Lamson all had two hits while Packard, Whittier and Keagy each had an RBI.
The Minutewomen are next in action on Wednesday, April 19, taking on Boston University from Sortino Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Aidan Deschaine can be reached at [email protected].
Johnny Depin can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Jdepin101.
